Increase Your Throughput Drastically | A Trinty AX Customer Story

When faced with rising customer demand and a growing mix of complex parts, Debbie Hanks, owner of Noron Precision Machining in Sunnyvale, CA, didn’t expand her team—she expanded her capabilities. By integrating three Trinity AX systems, Noron achieved lights-out CNC production, tripled throughput, and maintained 100% quality—all with the same number of employees.

Noron serves industries that demand precision—medical, aerospace, robotics, and tech—and has earned a reputation for tight tolerances and reliable delivery. But even in high-demand Silicon Valley, Debbie and her team have proven that strategic automation can offer something rarer: scalable growth without compromise.

Since taking over the shop from her father in 2004, Debbie Hanks has led the company with a mindset of continuous improvement. That mindset took a transformative turn in 2018 when the shop moved into a new facility, upgraded its equipment, and took its first steps toward automation.

“We brought in all new machines and started from scratch,” Debbie recalls. “We added 5-axis capability and eventually started looking at automation to take us even further.”

The introduction of Trinity AX systems—starting with an AX Duo, followed by an AX2, and then an AX1—marked a turning point. Each system handles pallets with pre-defined setups, eliminating downtime between jobs and maintaining high spindle utilization across the shop.

At Noron Precision, growth didn’t come from hiring—it came from automating. Without adding headcount, the shop doubled its business, increased capacity by 70%, and now runs 24/7 unattended.

“Having that amount of work going out the door with the same number of people was astounding to me,” says owner Debbie Hanks.

Rather than replace skilled labor, the Trinity AX systems elevated it. By automating pallet changeovers and sequencing jobs intelligently, the systems keep machines running overnight and through weekends—freeing up operators to focus on higher-value tasks.

For Jose Mendoza, who leads QA and programming, the impact is clear: “The system gives me time. I’m not loading parts manually anymore—I can focus on quality and production planning.”

Noron’s investment in automation wasn’t driven by hype—it was driven by need. As longtime QA lead and programmer Jose Mendoza explains, the shift was a response to increasingly aggressive lead times and repeat jobs that needed volume, fast.

“Our biggest pain point was production,” Jose says. “We needed to move fast. The only way to do that was 24/7 production with automation.”

Once installed, the Trinity AX systems quickly proved their value. A job that jumped from 75 to 600 parts per month was enough to pay off the investment on its own.

“There was no process change,” Jose explains. “Same program, same product. Just load the pallets, add tool breakage control, and run. It was plug and play.”

What makes Trinity Automation a natural fit for high-mix job shops like Noron is its flexibility and ease of use. The AX systems don’t require reprogramming or major workflow changes—they complement existing setups.

“I thought automation was only for high-volume production,” Debbie says. “But we use it for smaller runs too. Being able to load a variety of parts and let it run overnight changed everything.”

Today, Noron runs three Trinity AX systems—and has recently added a fourth. With 36 pallets and the ability to support two machines with the AX Duo, the shop is now structured for seamless, uninterrupted production.

As a woman-owned shop in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Debbie sees her leadership as both a strength and an opportunity.

“People are surprised when they meet me and find out I run a machine shop,” she says.
“But it’s becoming more common—and I love meeting women in the field. Whether they took over from their dad, like I did, or found their own path into machining—it’s exciting.”

That future-focused mindset is reflected in everything Noron does, from building long-term customer relationships to adopting technology before it becomes the norm.

Noron Precision didn’t grow by making noise. They grew by making smart decisions—and by making high-quality parts, on time, every time. With Trinity Automation in place, the shop has unlocked the power of automation without losing the soul of craftsmanship.

“We're known for 100% quality and on-time delivery,” Debbie says. “And now we’re doing it with less downtime, more uptime, and the same team. Automation isn’t a replacement—it’s a competitive edge.”

That’s what winning looks like.

We're In It To Win It.